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The London Olympics start this week, offering new opportunities for oddities like these: 1 For two Olympians who were the first-ever representative of their countries, dreams turned to "duhs." In 1960, Wym Essajas, from the South American nation of Suriname, was misinformed on when his 800-meter heat was scheduled and slept through it. In 1988, Eduard Paululum, a boxer from the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, woke up early enough to eat a big breakfast, then showed up a pound over the weight limit and was disqualified. 2 Margaret Abbott was a pretty good golfer, having won contests at the Chicago Golf Club. She just happened to be in Paris in October 1900, so she decided to enter a...

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The London Olympics start this week, offering new opportunities for oddities like these:1 For two Olympians who were the first-ever representative of their countries, dreams turned to "duhs." In 1960, Wym Essajas, from the South American...

On Friday, the International Olympic Committee will decide whether the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics will be Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid or Rio de Janeiro. Here are 10 facts about the five-ring circus:
1. Olympic sites are chosen by secret ballot, so...

As if Mexican tourism needed more bad news, a weekend shootout left 18 gunmen and soldiers dead in Acapulco, the iconic if faded beach resort that has been working on a comeback in recent years.
The hours-long gunfight Saturday night took place in a...

Who wants to hang around you when you're down on your luck? And yet California, mired in budget distress and other economic woes, continues to attract visitors: Tourism was up more than expected in 2010, with visits predicted to end the year up 4%. ...

The tourists think big. Arriving in Southern California, they expect to conquer Disneyland and Hollywood, perhaps on the same day, in between the surfing and snowboarding. Then they get stuck in traffic. Then come the recriminations, the tears, the vows...

John Naber will warm up the crowd and interview out-of-breath winners at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. He expects to spend considerable time with Michael Phelps.
"Everyone is missing the point," Naber said. "Seven gold medals would be...

One in a series of occasional articles on Michael Phelps and his path to the 2004 Olympics.
It has been a historic year for Michael Phelps.
The payoff for his accomplishments is evidence of how hard it is to make a living in swimming.
The...